The Browns have hired former Houston Texans assistant Steve Marshall as their offensive line coach, a source close to the situation said Friday night.

Marshall had recently been hired by Nick Saban to be offensive line coach at Alabama, but opted to return to the NFL, the source said. Browns General Manager Phil Savage, who was in Mobile, Ala., for today's Senior Bowl, could not be reached for comment.

Marshall was fired by the Texans after the 2005 season - a year in which Houston's line surrendered a league-high 68 sacks, all of them absorbed by quarterback David Carr. Marshall spent the 2006 season out of football before being hired by Saban earlier this month.

In 2004, Marshall joined the Texans as assistant line coach after more than 20 years in the college ranks. He replaces Jeff Davidson, who was hired this week as offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.

Marshall was chosen from among a field that included former Atlanta Falcons offensive line coach Tom Cable, former Panthers offensive line coach Mike Maser and former Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Steve Loney. Cable has been offered the offensive line coach job at Oakland.

The Texans promoted Marshall to offensive line coach after Chris Palmer was fired as offensive coordinator early in the 2005 season. With only one NFL season as the primary line coach under his belt, Marshall assumes the dubious task of rebuilding the Browns' ailing line and helping rejuvenate the league's 31st-ranked running game.

Prior to joining the Texans, Marshall was offensive line coach at the University of Colorado from 2000-03. He also has coached at Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, the University of North Carolina and Tennessee.

So we replace an OL coach who couldn't get his guys to protect the QB, with an OL coach who coached his OL up to breaking the record for sacks allowed? I hope he learned more in his season away than the Raiders OC did while running his bed and breakfast!

I think he's up there in age but why can't we give him an unheard amount of money for a 2 year contract. He comes in here and becomes our OL-Assist HC. He also teaches his OL philosophy to a young up and comer so ther's a handoff when he retires again, but will have a boatload of Randy's money.